


The Prince's Guard

by Farah_Rose



Category: Free!
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Best Friends, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Guard Yamazaki Sousuke, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Mutual Pining, Prince Matsuoka Rin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-27 13:17:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15025433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Farah_Rose/pseuds/Farah_Rose
Summary: When Sousuke was a eight years old he unexpectedly met a boy, who would later become his best friend. But his best friend isn't who he says he is. When all is revealed, the boys are faced with a spiral of events that could either break them apart or bring them closer together.





	The Prince's Guard

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. This is my first Free! Fanfic. Hope you enjoy. ^_^

“Sousuke!” his mother called out to him as he opened the door. He was excited to get to his special place to use the charcoal and parchment his father bought for him on his last trip to the neighbouring market of Iwatobi. Sousuke wanted to sketch the lake before the sun sets. He might also try drawing himself in amour, hopefully his mother doesn’t see those when he’s finished. Nothing is as scary as his mother when he’s in trouble. He didn’t know how she would react to know he might be interested in being a guard in the King’s Court.

  
“Yes Mama.” He replied calmly albeit impatiently, one foot already outside the door.

  
“Don’t venture out too far. It’s almost night fall.” She instructed from her position at the table, in preparation for dinner.

  
“I wont. I’ll be careful, I promise. I love you.” He was out before she could utter another word, his legs already running in the familiar direction of the lake a little away from his home.

  
He stumbled across this small private haven one afternoon when he found and somewhat – to his mother’s dismay- adopted a stray cat, who he later named Midnight because of her all black fur. His family lived on the outskirts of the village, surprisingly close to the castle walls of Samezuka. It was a beautiful place to live.

  
It would have been more interesting to narrate that Sousuke had a tough life but it was not the case this time. Although his family was not the richest – no way close – they were comfortable and content with what they had. His parents owned a small farm and stable that helped with bringing in an income into their home and also provided a convenient source of food. Life was relatively peaceful for the Yamazaki’s.

  
King Matsuoka of Samezuka was a fair and just king. He never overtaxed his people or justified them to harsh punishments – or so Sousuke heard from his parents. He didn’t feel like he was missing much. He knew their was a prince and princess and he only saw the King and Queen once when he was little but there was too much people around then he didn’t get a clear view. Which was silly seeing that he would love to be a Knight in the Castle some day. Maybe he should make a bigger effort to actually see the royal family.

  
He heard a rustling in the bushes as he ventured closer to the lake. Thinking it was Midnight, Sousuke carefully made his way through the path to his favourite fallen log as to not spook the cat. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed a small hooded figure sitting in his spot.

“You’re not Midnight.” He muttered obviously, debating his next movement.

  
The person in front of him appeared small in size, like he could be the same age or slightly younger than Sousuke’s eight years of age. He swore he heard sniffling coming from under the hood. His heart clenched for the stranger, making his decision he dragged his feet forward, trying to make some noise to alert the other person that he was there.

“Oh. Hello.” He cautiously approached the person to not scare them away. When he was close enough to confirm that it was indeed a young boy, Sousuke breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t expecting a demon or anything, but it was lovely to confirm that he was only human.

  
The other boy tensed when he heard the noise. He sat up straighter in his position, reaching inside his cloak for a small knife. He whipped it out quickly and pointed it at him, his little hands shaking. The hood still slightly covering his face but Sousuke could clearly see the wetness of his pale face. He was crying.

  
Sousuke immediately raised his hands in surrender. “Whoa. I mean no harm. I am not armed. See?” he wiggled his hands in front of the stranger, one hand still gripping his parchment and coal. The boy stood up then, he was a couple inches shorter than Sousuke. He pulled the hood of his head, the material falling gracefully at the back of his neck.

  
Sousuke swore his breath caught in his throat. It was indeed a boy, but the prettiest boy he had ever seen. Was it even possible for boys to look pretty? If not, this one broke all stereotypes. He had red hair, soft and silky falling across his face. He had the strong facial features of a person in charge with pale fair skin and a stubborn clench of his jaw. But his eyes…oh his fiery red eyes focused on Sousuke with distrust and curiosity. They were puffy and swollen underneath. He had the urge to reach out and hug him, to take away all his sorrows.

  
After a couple more seconds of staring, the boy put the knife back into its holster hidden somewhere within his black cloak.

  
“Hello.” The boy replied. His voice was still a bit wobbly from crying but Sousuke could tell he was trying extremely hard to not show it, so he smiled and waited. “I think I’m lost.” He finally admitted, dropping his head in defeat.

  
“Okay. Where do you need to go?” Sousuke tried to keep all traces of pity from his voice. He didn’t know this boy but he could tell he didn’t need or want any pity.

  
“Inside the castle walls.” The red head said softly, vaguely.

  
Scratching his black hair trying to figure out what to do, he asked. “Oh. How did you get out here then?” the answer didn’t shock him as much as he expected to know he lived within the walls. The black robes he wore did seem of excellent quality.

  
“I had an argument with my father and needed to clear my head for a bit.” He avoided the watchful teal gaze, tilting his head to the side.

  
“Ah. I understand. Come on, I’ll show you how to get back.” With a wave of his hand, Sousuke turned to the correct direction, walking slowly until the patter of footsteps behind him caught up.

  
“Wouldn’t you get in trouble?” the other boy’s face furrowed in concern as he fell into step beside him.

  
“Nah. My mother knows I can take care of myself. Besides I have some time to spare before night fall. I’ll make it back on time.” He smiled reassuringly.

  
“Are you sure? You’re helping me and you don’t even know me.” Red eyes couldn’t hide the glint of surprise, he kept glancing up as they maintained a steady pace.

  
“Well I can’t leave you all alone and lost, now can I? Also I am an excellent judge of character and you’re alright. My name is Sousuke. What’s yours?” He extended his free hand out.

  
“My name is R..Gou.” Came a stuttered reply. A smaller hand gripped his in a firm shake.

  
“Nice to meet you Rgou.”

  
“It’s just Gou.” He smirked.

  
“Oh. Sorry Gou. That’s a cool name.” Sousuke smiled apologetically, dropping the other’s hand.

  
“Thank you.” Gou hid his chuckle at Sousuke’s redden face. They fell into a comfortable silence, only the sound of their feet on the ground as they got closer to the entrance of the walls.

  
“Um Sousuke.” Gou’s soft voice breaking the silence.

  
“Hmm.”

  
“Where do you live, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  
“I live close by to the lake.” He indicated to the general direction of his village.

  
“What were you going to do before I ruined your excitement?” he pointed to the things clutched protectively in Sousuke’s hand.

  
“You didn’t ruin anything. I can always go back tomorrow. My father bought me charcoal and some parchment in his last trip to the neighboring market. I was going to draw something special for my mother for her birthday.” He explained.

  
“Iwatobi?” Sousuke nodded which brightened the other boy’s smile. “I have a friend who lives there. He’s obsessed with swimming. You would think he was a fish – maceral specifically. His mother said his first word was Saba.” Sousuke watched as his new friend speak happily and animatedly about this boy and his love for fish. He might not be able to quote all the words Gou was saying. He was a bit busying watching his face light up and the endless smiles as he told Sousuke the stories.

  
Time truly flies when it is enjoyable. Soon the gates became visible. Sousuke wasn’t sure he was ready for this to end. He had grown immensely fond of Gou in their short stroll. They stopped at the entrance. Two guards noticed their arrival. One waved at them in a friendly gesture, the other scowled. They waved back.

  
“I guess it’s time for me to head home huh.” Sousuke smiled internally. Gou also looked reluctant to leave. “Thank you Sousuke. You truly are the kindest person I’ve met.”

  
“Don’t worry about it. I had fun talking to you.” He replied. They stood awkwardly, neither knowing how to say goodbye.

  
Gou cleared his throat. “This is good bye then.” He held his hand out to Sousuke. “It was great to meet you.”

  
He took the outstretched hand, shaking it dumbly for a moment. “It was great to meet you too Gou. Good bye then.”

  
He turned to walk away when an idea occurred to him. “If you ever find yourself at the lake again, I am usually there before sunset on most days.” He said quickly, then promptly turned on his heels and walked away.

  
“Have a good day Young Yamazaki.” The friendly guard, Seijuurou, called out to him. He didn’t turn around but waved his hand behind him until his form disappeared in the distance within the trees.

 

The red head watched his new friend walk away, his ears tinted pink. He smiled, he would definitely want to return to the lake. This was the most fun he had in a very long time. Only when Haru comes to visit, he get to be a regular boy, well some of the times.  
He sighed as he passed through the gates, the two guards waiting patiently for him.

  
“Gou huh.” Seijuurou nudged his side teasingly.

  
“Shut up.” He mumbled as he ran home. Hopefully he could make it to his room before his father noticed him. He would make sure and find a way to sneak out and see Sousuke as much as he could.

 

And he did.

Almost everyday for the next two years, the boys would meet at the lake. Sousuke’s father damaged his shoulder when one of the horses kicked him whilst he was moving her into a bigger stable. The horse was pregnant and she panicked. Unfortunately, the accident gave Sousuke the additional responsibility of taking over as much work as his parents needed him to do. But did try to make it to the lake as much as he could. Some of the time Gou was already there waiting for him, other times he would sit by the water and wait for his friend. It became their routine. Neither would get upset if the other didn’t show up. They understood they both had responsibilities so they tried to warm the day before if they couldn’t make it.  
However, slowly after almost two years, Gou got less and less time to sneak out to the lake. They only saw each other once a week for the pass couple weeks. Sousuke was getting worried for his friend. He never like to speak about his family and would clam up when Sousuke asked. He decided to nor push and let Gou talk to him when he was ready.

  
With his father on the mend and feeling better these days, Sousuke finally had some more free time on his hands. He automatically made his way to the lake, not expecting to see anyone there. He was going to try and draw a shark for Gou with his birthday coming up. He touched the pendant around his neck. It was a wooden carving of a whale shark he got for his birthday. Gou said he tried to make a shark but it looked more like a whale. Sousuke wanted to return the favour make a shark one. But he needed to draw the shark first before trying to chisel it out of the wood.

  
Imagine his surprise – like déjà vu to their first meeting – he rounded the trees to find a crying figure on the log.

“Hey Gou. Why are you crying? Talk to me please?” he dropped his materials when he saw the state of his friend and ran towards him, dropping on his knees in front of the log next to Gou’s legs.

  
“I…..” he was too choked up for the words to come out.

  
“Shhh. It’s okay. Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.” Sousuke hugged him, rubbing his back soothingly until Gou calmed down. It was having the opposite effect on the other boy though.

  
“But I am!” Gou shouted, pushing at Sousuke’s chest to release him.

  
“What? What are you talking about Gou?” he released him reluctantly as requested, but staying close. Gou’s features were pained. Sousuke did notice that he flinched every time he said his name. He felt like he was observing some major internal monologue happening within his friend’s mind. Gou eventually looked up at him.

  
“My name isn’t Gou. I…. It’s………” he sighed, taking a breath to calm his nerves. “It’s Rin.” The redhead whispered, his entire being on alert, gauging his best friend’s reaction.

  
“Rin?” Why does that name sound so familiar? He gasped when the realization hit him like a catapult. “As in Prince Matsuoka Rin?” Eyes widen as he took an instinctive step back.

  
“Yes.” Rin’s head dropped when he noticed the movement. “Gou is my sister’s name.” he added lamely.

  
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Sousuke accused, trying to keep his voice controlled. He was having conflicting emotions of wanting to comfort his friend but also feeling betrayed.

  
“Because you are my friend Sousuke. You’re my best friend. The one person who treats me like a regular person and likes me for just me and wants to know what I think and what I like. The one person who doesn’t treat me like a spoiled brat prince. It killed me everyday to have to lie to you and I don’t know why I kept doing it. I just….. I didn’t want that to change if you knew who I was, that I’d lose you. I am sorry Sou.” Rin sniffed, using the sleeve of his robe to wipe away the tears. It didn’t help, as fast as he wiped, more tears formed until he gave up and sobbed softly, the tears running freely down his face.

  
Sousuke’s chest tightened. He wanted to be angry that he was lied to, but he realized that he couldn’t. He didn’t know whether it was because they’ve gotten so close but he understood why he did it. A name doesn’t matter right? This was the same boy who became his closest friend over the course of two years. His friend who never judged him or made fun of him, who was there to cheer him up when things were hard at home.

  
“Oh Go….. Rin.” He hoped Rin didn’t notice his name blunder. It would be weird to say a different name moving forward, but as it rolled off his tongue, it sounded right. He liked the name Rin and it suited him a lot more than Gou did – well in his opinion at least. He soften his voice naturally to not frightened him anymore than he already was.

“Come here. You’ll always be my best friend. I don’t care about your name or title. I am not mad or anything. Please don’t cry Rin.” He said gently, holding a hand out in silent understanding.

  
“I am not crying, Idiot.” Red hair slipping over his face. He refused to meet Sousuke’s eyes and he took his outstretched hand, hiding his face in the other’s boy chest. He wrapped his arms around Sousuke’s waist like a lifeline in case this was the last time they met. He wanted to remember everything about this moment before he lost his best friend forever.

  
“If you say so.” Sousuke’s voice rumbled in his chest tickling Rin’s ear. This made him hug tighter. As if reading his mind, Sousuke engulfed him in his protecting embrace.

“You’re not going to lose me Rin.” He said softly.

  
“But I am. Tomorrow is my tenth birthday Sou. My official Prince training will begin. I wouldn’t be able to sneak out and meet you anymore.” His words were muffled in Sousuke’s shirt but it was still clear.

  
“Oh.” They felt deflated.

  
“I have an Idea. Doesn’t training for the new guards begin for boys at the same age as the Prince?” Sousuke pulled away, holding Rin by the shoulders.

  
“Yes. so?” Rin looked confused. “Hey.” He complained when Sousuke shook him by the shoulders gently but excitedly.

  
“I am already ten Rin! I will sign up for the guards and work hard and become the Captain for the Crowned Prince. And we would be together all the time!” He exclaimed.

  
“You would do that for me?” Rin gasped, finally following Sousuke’s line of thought.

  
“Off course I would. And I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a castle guard.” He smiled.

  
“Thank you Sousuke!” They laughed when Rin jumped into his arms in a crushing hug.

 

“Come on. Let me walk you home so I can tell my parents.”

The atmosphere was bursting with excited energy from the boys as they made their way towards the gates. They arms brushing innocently against each other as they walked closely. Sousuke was lost in though on how his parents would react. His father would be proud, joining the guards was an honour. But he was worried about his mother. Would she be okay with this? He never liked to upset his parents, he wanted them to be proud him always.

Without thinking about it, Rin clasped Sousuke’s hand in his. Sousuke stumbled at the contact but righted himself keeping hold of the hand in his. Neither of then spoke about it, just continued walking.

  
When the guards became visible, they let go, putting a little distance between them. Rin wasn’t sure why his heart was being so fast or why he suddenly felt sad when he wasn’t holding Sousuke’s hand anymore. He shook his head to clear the unwanted thoughts.

  
Seijuurou was at the gates again when they approached. “Good afternoon young gentlemen.” He greeted them.

  
“He knows.” Rin said, rolling his eyes at the guard.

  
“Ah.” Was all he said in response.

  
“Mikoshiba-senpai, when is the recruitment for the prince’s guards?” Sousuke asked politely, the guard beamed at being addressed formally. He shot a smug look at Rin before addressing the question.

  
“I believe it is the day after tomorrow. Are you interested Young Yamazaki?” he inquired.

  
“Yes sir. I am.” Sousuke replied.

  
He looked at the determined expression on the boys’ faces and smiled genuinely. “Then you better get here early eh. I will add your name to the roster.” He patted the boy’s shoulder encouragingly before leaving them to say goodbyes.

“Don’t worry Rin. I will work hard and train hard. I will not let you down.” He promised softly.

  
“I know. You never have.” Rin whispered reassuringly. He looked up expectantly at Sousuke, his eyes shinning in the setting light of the sun. “See you soon?”

  
“It’s a promise.” Sousuke took his hands briefly and squeezed them. “Besides I would owe you a birthday gift.”

  
“Goodnight Yamazaki Sousuke, Captain of my guards.” Rin walked backwards, with a mock salute. Sousuke laughed returning the gesture.

  
“Goodnight Prince Rin.”

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. It is nerve-wracking posting for the first time in a fandom. I have no idea where I am going with this. I'm writing one chapter at a time and kind of going with the flow. :)  
> Hope you liked it. I can't wait to write more.


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